800 positions
H&M is said to be laying off hundreds of young mothers: that's what the fashion giant says
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H&M is under criticism. The fashion giant should cut 800 jobs – and mainly want to lay off young mothers. H&M denies the allegations.
The fashion chain H&M is the subject of numerous negative headlines this week. In a report by "Business Insider", the group is accused of shedding numerous jobs – and laying off mainly young mothers.
800 layoffs planned at H&M
"The employees at H&M are afraid for their job and for their health," the magazine quotes a H&M employee who wants to remain anonymous. According to information from "Business Insider", the company has already cut 3,000 jobs across Germany since 2018, and another 800 are to follow. The spicy thing: It should primarily be about the jobs of young mothers.
Where did the allegations come from? In the course of the downsizing, H&M is said to have designed a volunteer program that "Business Insider" should have. Employees can voluntarily choose to be dismissed with a corresponding severance payment. But the management should now primarily want to offer the program to employees on parental leave, they are the "predestined group" for the program.
H&M denies allegations – parents should be protected
What is it about the allegations? Employees cannot be terminated on parental leave. H&M confirms this when asked by Brigitte.de: "It is important to emphasize that colleagues on parental leave are of course exempt from layoffs and only have the option of opting for the volunteer program if they want to change their careers." The program is supposed to represent a "milder" alternative to terminations through attractive conditions. It is not primarily aimed at mothers and fathers, but rather at "all colleagues from different employment relationships".
But: If not enough employees decide to leave voluntarily, dismissals must actually be expected. When asked, H&M confirmed that as a reaction to the Corona crisis and the change in users, it was planning to cut jobs by around 5 percent of all employees in stores in Germany – that would correspond to 800 people who would lose their jobs. It is unclear who will ultimately be affected. According to H&M, however, the decision should be made after a "social selection": "According to current labor law, this protects employees who would face a termination with particular social hardship, such as mothers and fathers," says the press department.
Sources used: Business Insider, Der Spiegel, H&M Presse